


Rudor/Syndulla: DogFight!

by lordhadrian



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Dogfighting, F/M, Gen, Imperial Officers (Star Wars), Post-Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal, Rebels, Star Wars References, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-01
Updated: 2016-03-01
Packaged: 2018-05-24 03:45:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6140506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordhadrian/pseuds/lordhadrian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A follow up to the story "Boonta's Shining Knight", several years pass after Baron Rudor rescued Hera from sabotage on the Boonta Eve racetrack.  Both are about to engage each other in combat over Lothal, but maybe Hera can return the favor.</p><p>Spoiler alert: Hera is with Kanan, but Valen still has some feelings for her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rudor/Syndulla: DogFight!

Rudor/Syndulla: DogFight!

 

Tensions had peaked when Lothal was put under martial law. The people there were slowly sinking to poverty levels from being squeezed economically. They could still grow food in the vast plains, but the whole infrstructure was wearing down, and what was once a very prominsing place to be involved became an Imperial nightmare of Industrial waste as the planet was slowly being converted into a huge factory for war.

Workers lived in hovels, everything was rusting from the brisk weather changes. The Rebels had no choice but to break the blockade to drop supplies for those who were suffering.

"Kids, keep an eye out for the tie fighters" Hera called out on her comlink. The Ghost broke free from hyperspace and was just outside of Lothal's orbit.

"How is the planet looking, Hera?" Ezra meekly asked "It's been a while since we were here...."

"Planet looks peaceful. Too bad we are about to run into the occupying Star Destroyer and a squad of ties! Get ready for evasive manuevers!" Hera's voice rose in its energy. The Imperials launched their attack swiftly. Two squads of tie fighters screamed towards them.

"We'll make it a race to the planet surface!" Hera almost smiled as they faced down the fighters and swirled ind a maelstrom of combat. Sabine and Zeb handled the guns as she swerved and maneuvered. Two Tie fighters strafed them, Zeb blasted   
one.

"HA!" he grinned. His smile was wiped off when one of the tie fighters blasted the shielding on the hull. The ship rocked a little

"Ah Kalabast!" he frowned "How many more we got!?"

"One less!" Sabine blasted another. The Ghost did a loop around a couple more strafers. Chopper buzzed a swear word but Hera ignored the droid.

"Just keep the stabilizers going, Chopper!" she barked.

A voice called out on her comlink from one of the tie fighters

"Rebels! I order you to cease these hostile actions! This planet is under the protection of the Empire, and you will land and prepare to surrender peacefully! IF you insist on this course of action, I will have no choice but to destroy your ship!"

"He sounds familiar!" Kanan growled. Hera, however, paused for half a second

"It's the Baron...." she had a hint of regret in her realization.

Baron Rudor regrouped his squad and strafed past the Ghost again as they sped fully into the atmosphere. Hera knew it would be difficult to shake him, but she also studied Rudor's flight patterns and combat tactics. She did not realize that, for the past few weeks, the Baron had also been studying her, the flight patterns of the Ghost, and her habits as a pilot. In combat, they were almost evenly matched, which made him admire her all the more.

"It is a shame I must shoot you down, Ghost!" Rudor whispered as he strafed past the rebel ship. He turned to follow as Sabine blasted another tie fighter. Valen adjusted his speed to just follow and try to disable the Ghost's shields.

"Requesting reinforcements!" he called out to nearby Imperial ships.

"I'm picking up more dots on the radar!" Kanan reported with a quick voice. Chopper warbled, confirming the revelation.

Hera zoomed fast down into the atmosphere "Time to end this chase and loose them in the clouds!" she accelerated into Lothal.

"Oh no you don't!" Valen increased his speed to keep up. His tie fighter was now screaming into the clouds of Lothal to keep up with the Ghost. Sabine fired at him, but he was agile, dodging her blasts.

Hera spun the Ghost around and went full throttle.

"What are you doing!?" Kanan looked at her with panic. Hera sped the ship towards Baron Rudor. They spotted each other in a clear part of the sky. The Baron started firing, but stopped as he saw Hera staring back at him. She held a sorrowful look, but also a determined one.

"Hera, STOP!" Valen gasped. He swerved at the last moment. Sabine aimed quickly and caught him in her sights. She blasted off one of his wings.

Valen's tie fighter spun fast towards the ground, but it was Valen's superior piloting skills that helped him use his engines to balance the ship just enough the soften the landing. 'Soft landing' being much an exaggeration in this case. The Tie fighter was demoslished. Valen had been thrown clear, but landed in the softer parts of the field. He was pretty banged up when the Ghost landed nearby.

Hera bounced from the ship ahead of the others.

"VALEN!!" She shouted as she approached. He looked up, but could barely move. He winced in pain as he tried to raise his hand to her.

"You are quite a pilot...." he tried to smile.

Hera held him in her arms as Zeb and Ezra brought medical equipment.

"More ties are coming Hera. We have to move" Kanan said patiently.

Hera tried to nurture the Baron, and talked Zeb into carrying Rudor to the ship.

"Why should you help me? I'm...I'm the enemy...."

Hera almost caressed his face and sighed "You saved my life once. Years ago, on the race track at the Boonta Eve. And you're a fine pilot who was almost killed. I owe it to you to help you find a new destiny, my Imp."

"A new Destiny?" Valen thought he was becoming delusional at her words.

"A new Destiny??" Kanan thought maybe Hera was the one becoming delusional "He's an Imperial snob, Hera! We can't trust him!"

Valen looked away after staring into Hera's eyes. He remembered her from that day on the race track. He remembered that she was, indeed, a fine pilot in a ship or a racing pod.

Hera took Kanan's hand as Zeb carried the wounded Baron up into the Ghost. "Everyone deserves a second chance. He gave me a second chance several years ago. Now, I'm going to give him the same opportunity."

Kanan almost smiled at her audacity "You scare me sometimes, but that's what makes this life an adventure!"

She smiled back at him as they boarded the ship and prepared to take off. What did the future hold for them? Could Valen find a new life away from the Empire? He had been completely loyal to the Imperial way....until he found himself looking into Hera's eyes. His heart had been trapped by her, trapped for years ever since he first held her in his arms at the Boonta Eve, but now their fortunes had been reversed, and he was in her arms briefly.

He looked into her eyes in that moment, and for the first time saw what true freedom could be.


End file.
